Pick of the day

IT’S a double helping of 1970s life as this endearing series draws to a close with two back-to-back episodes.

Bet is delighted when Spud dons a uniform and starts a new job as a commissionaire, although she might want to avoid spending those pennies just yet.

In fact, Spud’s first day in the office gets off to a shouty start when he’s given a very pubic dressing down by his smarmy upstart of a boss.

Before you can say P45 he’s grappling with his new employer’s neck in a stairwell and throttling

himh into submission. Oh dear. Bang go Bet’s wistful dreams of a steady income and a husband in regular employment.

Meanwhile, Danny, who’s yet to inform his parents he’s taken a permanent break from school, embarks on a double life when a couple of girls get the ideaea he’s the younger brother of 70s s heartthrob pop star David Essex.

It’s a misunderstanding he’s happy to run with when he quickly realises that a neck scarf, a leather waistcoat and a bit of bluffing can bag him a date with no less than Heather, who is the e most gorgeous girl on the block. k. Also as the series comes to a close, big sister Sharon gets ready to tie the knot while Bet is having serious doubts about her own marriage. And as for Danny’s brother Michael – he’s having ana interesting time sampling LSD for th the first time, which leads to some veryver amusing scenes involving snails,sn phone boxes and a Maris PiperP potato.

We’ ll miss the warmth and humour of this show, starring Peter Kay and Lucy Speed, but fans need not be disappointed because broadcasterb Danny Baker, on whose earlyea life it is based, has already startedsta work on series two.